For a number of years, grids have been used in the loading of bottles and other containers into cases wherein the cases are divided by a plurality of partitions so that a discrete section is designed to receive one container. Conventionally, there is a plurality of bars extending parallel to one another and aligned with the direction of movement of the containers to be loaded into the cases. The bars are so spaced as to provide a bar over each of the partitions in the cases to be loaded. Thus, the conventional arrangement is that a plurality of containers to be loaded into the cases are urged by the conveyor means between the plurality of bars, and the bottles are held until the entire grid is loaded. At a predetermined time, the bottles are allowed to fall simultaneously, and fingers carried by the bars assist in directing the bottles into the sections of the case waiting below.
While the parallel bars separate the bottles in one direction, and the bars are aligned with the partitions extending in one direction across the case, there is no means for assuring that the bottles are properly spaced in the opposite direction, i.e., in the direction of movement. While the fingers carried by the parallel bars are designed to direct the individual bottles into the sections of the case, the means for holding these fingers to the bars have caused a number of difficulties. The finger mounting means normally has a relatively large flat area on the top thereof so that a bottle can hit the top of the finger mounting means and fail to drop at all, or drop in an improper location such as on one of the partitions of the case. Further, the pivots, spring returns and the like in the conventional finger mounting means are open so that debris can easily fall into the mechanism and jam the operation of the finger. It will be understood that bottles occasionally break in these packing grids, and that pieces of glass can easily lodge in the mechanism and cause improper operation. Further, when there is any problem with any one of the fingers, or mounting means, in conventional packing grids the entire grid must be removed for repair, and a new grid installed in order to continue operation. This is extremely time consuming, and expensive both from the standpoint of labor involved, and from the standpoint of down-time for the packing line.